DUTERTE TAPS BRITISH BARRISTER PETER HAYNES AS NEW ICC DEFENSE COUNSEL

Former president Rodrigo Duterte has appointed prominent British barrister Peter Haynes as his new lead counsel before the International Criminal Court (ICC), following the withdrawal of lawyers Nicholas Kaufman and Dov Jacobs from the defense team.

Haynes is widely regarded as one of the leading practitioners in international criminal and humanitarian law, bringing more than 25 years of experience before tribunals in The Hague, including the ICC, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

According to his professional profile, Haynes is among the few defense advocates to have personally conducted a full trial before the ICC. His legal career has involved some of the world’s most high-profile international criminal cases concerning genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and terrorism.

The British barrister previously represented Bosnian Serb General Vinko Pandurević in proceedings related to the Srebrenica massacre before the ICTY. At the ICC, he also represented former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba and played a key role in securing Bemba’s acquittal on appeal.

In 2024, Haynes was appointed by the ICC to represent the interests of Ugandan militant leader Joseph Kony during the court’s first-ever in absentia confirmation proceedings. He later appeared as lead defense counsel during hearings conducted in September 2025.

Beyond international tribunals, Haynes has also appeared before British courts handling cases involving murder, fraud, human trafficking, sexual offenses, and complex criminal conspiracies. He previously served as president of the International Criminal Court Bar Association from 2019 to 2021, becoming the first individual re-elected to the position.

Duterte’s legal team transition comes amid significant developments in his ICC case. The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber earlier confirmed three counts of crimes against humanity against the former president, formally committing the case to trial over alleged killings linked to the anti-drug campaign and the so-called Davao Death Squad between November 2011 and March 2019.

The court stated there were “substantial grounds to believe” Duterte bears responsibility for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder tied to the controversial anti-drug operations carried out during his administration.

Earlier this week, ICC Trial Chamber III approved Kaufman’s request to withdraw as Duterte’s lead defense counsel after informing the Chamber that the former president wished to appoint new representation. Court documents noted that Haynes was prepared to immediately assume Duterte’s defense and participate in upcoming proceedings before the Hague-based tribunal.

With a Trial Chamber now formally constituted, the next phase of the proceedings is expected to focus on trial preparations, legal disclosures, and pre-trial litigation as Duterte’s new legal team begins crafting its defense strategy before the international court.